"This mission really isn't easy," Rylan sighed as he walked up to the reddish wall of solidified lava, placing his hand on its surface.
When he touched it, he felt the wall crumble and break into several pieces that fell to the ground.
"This is so weak, it cracked with just a simple touch," he murmured and continued, "How do we get up there?"
With no other option, he began to look around for a solution. In the center, he saw a huge commotion.
A group of people was fighting a woman with dark brown skin and black hair tied in a ponytail, her emerald eyes glowing with intensity. She was wearing a full white armor.
Surrounded by enemies, she wielded her sword with majestic precision, cutting down anyone who dared to approach her.
"Cleon, why don't you just give us the control method? We're all from the capital with the same goal. Why keep that method to yourself?" A young man with red hair, who was standing behind the crowd, spoke up, addressing everyone. "Isn't that right, my aspiring brothers? If she has the method, why not share it?"
"Yes!" The crowd responded eagerly. Everyone there had arrived with their own strength, and to continue advancing, they had no hesitation in intimidating this woman.
"Hahaha!" Cleon laughed, her eyes shining with a mix of amusement and contempt. "Kaito Rennow, you pathetic coward! Hiding behind this crowd, you dare claim you're worthy of the method? And you..."
She turned her cold gaze to the rest, her murderous aura pulsing around her. "Excited by your words? Come then. Try your luck, but don't regret it when you fall dead at my feet."
"Arrogant!" Kaito retorted, clenching his fists. "Let's see if you can take on all of us alone. Attack!"
At his command, nearly a hundred people rushed at Cleon, while others stood by as spectators, watching the unfolding battle.
Rylan was one of them. He moved away slightly, staying distant, his eyes locked on the fight. Even though he thought it was unfair, a bunch of people facing a lone woman, he wasn't a hero who would risk his life for a stranger.
---
In the center of the clash, Cleon smiled and unsheathed her green sword, launching herself toward the first opponent. In the blink of an eye, the arm of the man who was approaching her was severed, falling to the ground like a dry branch.
Without waiting for the crowd's reaction, Cleon continued to wield her sword with almost supernatural skill. Each strike was swift and lethal, and no one who got close could avoid the green blade, which shone like a beam of death.
The ground quickly transformed into a nightmare scene: pools of blood spread everywhere, mutilated body parts lay scattered, and the groans of the wounded echoed, muffled by the battle.
Of the nearly a hundred enemies who had charged at her, only twenty remained standing. Even so, they hesitated, exchanging unsure glances among themselves.
Kaito, the commander watching the carnage from a safer position, swallowed hard. He knew Cleon was powerful, but seeing her annihilate so many warriors so easily left him stunned.
"Worthy to be the daughter of the Amazon Queen..." he murmured to himself, narrowing his eyes as he analyzed the situation. "But even she has limits. She's getting tired. Her energy is running low."
Indeed, Cleon was not unscathed. Her body showed clear signs of battle. Her armor was soaked with red, from both enemy blood and her own. Deep cuts ran across her arms and legs, and the blood that trickled down traced irregular paths on her bronze skin.
"You cowardly old hag!" she shouted, her lips curled into a smile despite the evident pain. Her voice, full of contempt, echoed across the battlefield.
"Cleon, I have to admit, you're probably one of the strongest in this Infernal Kingdom test... But what a pity, your arrogance is your biggest flaw. You could have found a strong group of subordinates with that method to pass through this volcano, one of the main challenges of the test. But you didn't. You chose to stay alone and even walk openly, without disguising yourself... Do you really trust yourself that much?"
Kaito spoke, looking at the woman who wore an expression of disdain.
"Yes," she replied, running like an arrow toward Kaito, swinging her sword at his hand.
When the blade struck, a protective shield activated around his body, rebounded the blow.
Seeing the sword coming toward him, she dodged to the side, letting it miss, and then, with his right hand, grabbed the hilt.
But before she could fully grip it, a punch hit she face, throwing her back, where she crashed forcefully into the wall, spitting blood.
"You've lost... Give me the method if you don't want to die," Kaito said, walking toward Cleon, who was lying on the ground. He was the one who had delivered that punch.
"Coward! Do you need treasures to fight? I'm ashamed of Count Rennow for raising a son like you."
"Do you think provoking me will work? Coward? This is the test to enter one of the three main academies. Everything counts to get in," Kaito said, moving closer to Cleon.
"You're right."
Just as he was about to crouch down, a voice echoed. Moments later, he saw a flying kick appear before him, landing squarely on him.